citizen of the planet

I made the mistake of putting an enormous amount of pressure on myself to perform.  As a result, I ended up changing my race plan right from the beginning.  Within a few kilometres I felt the consequences, but I was already committed.  So, I just attempted to go with the flow.  By the last few kilometres I was dangerously close to missing my goal, so despite feeling ragged and worn out I dug deep and ran like my life depended on it.  The fatigue was heavy, and my legs were burning, but in the end I met my goal.  I didn’t obliterate it like I originally intended, but at this point I really should not complain.

Oh, and whoever keeps billing this route as flat needs a punch in the junk.

In retrospect, this race was a little bit strange for me. Having come out of the disaster that was Scotia back in September, I wanted to have a good race to give me my confidence back. However, I knew that this route was particularly hilly, so I didn’t know what to expect.  I also didn’t train all that much since the end of the last race.  So, I just took it all in stride and figured that I’ll be happy with whatever my results will be.  I started out fast and at about 13K I started taking walk breaks–the hills got to me early.  Despite the breaks, I somehow still came in just 11 seconds behind my personal best.  This tells me that on a better route I’d be able to attain a new PB without problem.  I’m ready!

Well, the run was promising at the beginning. After about 13K things just deteriorated. Soon I was grasping my lower back as it was just making my life miserable. The water backpack I was wearing caused all of the problems. I churned out a time that was worse than I had wanted, but in the end I can definitely call it a learning experience, as well as an exercise in humility.

Been a while since I had done a timed 5K. I started out stronger than I should have started and was humbled fairly quickly. I tripped along the way and hurt my ankle. After a few brief moments of panic I pulled myself together and hobbled it off. In the end I still achieved a personal best. Still, I know it could have been a better PB. This was the first race for my Learn to Run group! Never mind about me–I’m so proud of all of them.

Apart from a gentle incline at the beginning and a banked hill at the 10K mark, much of the route had varying down hill parts. It was great! I definitely felt strong during this race. I did seem to hit the wall at around 18K, and that probably cost me my 2:30 goal, but hey, cutting off almost 14 minutes from my time is still a sizable feat! Next time: aiming to break 2:30.

No, there was no chip for this race, but according to my Garmin I did it in 35:58, which is about half a minute off of my time in the Toronto Island 5K. The paths weren’t the clearest and required a bit of care. As such, I’d like to think that in better conditions I’d be able to get an even better 5K time. It’s good to know that I’m making improvements.

My first 10K event. Very hilly course. I was able to make gains on the hills. It was a slow start but I really picked up when a power walker started creeping up on me. Ha! I was expecting to come in between 75-80 minutes, so my results made me happy. I enjoyed the course. I plan on doing it again next year.

My first half-marathon event. Was humid but I really didn’t notice until late in the race. I got caught up in the excitement and started a bit fast. I faded soon after but attempted to keep steady. God there were a lot of people. There was a lot of position switching at the back. I was expecting to finish in 3 hours, so I’m happy to have come in in the time that I did.

Rough run. I think the combination of the cold weather, icy paths, and general work fatigue helped me to come in late. Too bad, really. It’s OK though because the intention was met–I was starting the new year on a good, healthy note.

What a huge event. Think of it: the population of a whole small town moving through the streets of Toronto. Because of the mix of runners and walkers it was basically impossible to race. No, this event wasn’t about making it to the end in the fastest time. This event is more about the cause.

Nice day in the islands. There were a few times when I felt like I was the last one on the course. In the end though I ended up improving on my last time by 2 and a half minutes. Whoo!

My absolute first time in a race of this sort. I started out with the crowd but faded quickly. The course felt like it was never going to end. Seriously. Advice from this point forward: never eat at a buffet the day before a race.